George W. Bush joins Facebook

Former president George W. Bush's Facebook page was set up around two weeks ago but made public Wednesday, rapidly climbing to more than 27,000 who "Liked" it by mid-afternoon.

The first Facebook post was written in the third person, suggesting the page is being maintained by someone other than the president, as is common with Facebook pages for public figures:

"Since leaving office, President Bush has remained active. He has visited 20 states and 8 countries; given over 65 speeches; launched the George W. Bush Presidential Center; participated in 4 policy conferences through The Bush Institute; finished the first draft of his memoir, "Decision Points"; and partnered with President Clinton to establish the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. More on his activities in future posts..."

Bush has kept a relatively low public profile since leaving the White House, and his move into social media space is sure to be watched closely as he carves out an online identity.

A fresh Twitter identity for the former president was also launched Wednesday, though it has not yet been verified by the company, its procedure for confirming the identity of public figures on the service. "Stay tuned for updates!" @George_WBush wrote Wednesday afternoon in an inaugural post. ABC News reported that it is being maintained by the George W. Bush Presidential Center, but not Bush personally.

Many political figures on Twitter have their feeds maintained by staff. President Obama is on Twitter but uses the site sparingly and mainly for formal announcements and speech excerpts. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican nominees for the White House, can be very personal in their use of Twitter and Facebook, however, and use the services as outlets for pointed political commentary and event notifications for supporters.

There are a large number of fake George W. Bushes on Twitter; the new @George_WBush address is designed for those who "Support George Bush."

Dear Mr. Bush: A rogue warrantless surveillance-censorship regime apparently will not let me through to your Facebook page -- so I address the following message to you here, courtesy of The Washington Post. A quick thank you for taking down the "stove pipes" that enabled secret, criminal operations; your action has helped me expose serious wrongdoing initiated under your watch:

* Thousands of Americans slandered as "dissidents" or undesirables, targeted by Bush-era multi-agency legacy program for debilitating cell tower- based precision-targeted microwave//laser assault, held hostage to fed-supported vigilante "community policing" GPS-equipped stalking units that menace, vandalize and terrorize as local police look the other way.

* Microwave laser radio frequency weapon system -- a nationwide installation employing cell towers and satellites -- silently, invisibly induces weakness, exhaustion, mood changes, pain, head and body aches, physical and neurological impairment, strokes, aneurysms, sickness, cancer -- and many victims do not realize what is making them sick.

* Use of microwave weaponry to torture and impair political opponents recently confirmed by deposed Honduras President Manuel Zelaya.

"These are crimes against humanity and the Constitution, being perpetrated under the cover of national security and 'safe streets' by multiple federal and local agencies and commands -- an American genocide hiding in plain sight, enabled by the naivete of those who think 'it can't happen here.'" -- Vic Livingston, former reporter for WTXF-TV Philadelphia, Phila. Bulletin, N.Y. Daily News, St. Petersburg Times; producer/host, MSG Network; columnist, NowPublic.com/scrivener.